What is Climatology

The term, ‘climatology’, refers to that branch of atmospheric sciences that studies the climate of the earth’s surface. It is a very wide branch and covers various aspects. Therefore, climatology can be termed as one of the largest braches of study for people who wish to learn about the atmospheric sciences in detail. Climatologists are the people who study these subjects in detail and based on the research make predictions about the weather. One should make sure that he understands the exact difference between climatology and meteorology. Climatology is the wider branch of physical geography that talks about every small factor that determines the climate on the planet. The main branches of climatology are Paleoclimatology, Paleotempestology and Historical climatology.

Climatology as a subject is very interesting and the career of climatologist is considered to be one of the most lucrative ones. Climatology provides the basic guidelines depending on which the climatologists round the world find out an exact pattern of the rainfall and the winds. It is based on this information that irregularities of any kind if expected are predicted. However, it is to be noted that weather is just a short term prediction of the climate of the place based on the past occurrences and other factors that affect the climate.

Climatology is one of the oldest subjects that are known to human beings. Beginning from the earlier days of human civilization, the knowledge of climatology in its most crude form was used to plan human settlements and agriculture in areas that were most suited for human habitation. The nomadic cultures of the olden times and the travelers of the olden times can be said to be the forefathers of the branch, Climatology. It would be worth mentioning here that the Chinese scientist, Shen Kuo who lived in the 11th Century has been given the credit of studying the subject in detail and of having proposed various theories based on which the subject has reached its present form.

The role of the subject climatology is of utmost importance in ensuring that all relevant information with regard to the climatic occurrences are provided to the administrations around the world, enabling them to plan accordingly. Thus, it would not be an exaggeration in terming Climatology as the branch of geography that has the highest practical application in the present day scenario. Students who possess interest in geography can choose to learn Climatology from the reputed institutes around the world and build a career in this interesting subject.